Caffeinated
by hummingyay
Summary: Was it really that hard to get a decent cup of coffee in this dump? - Makorra, AU


Mako yawned for the umpteenth time that early morning.

It had been a particularly uneventful night for the young police officer. During his six-hour shift, Mako had only responded to a handful of calls. He had impounded a stolen vehicle, pulled over a Satomobile going 80 in a 50 zone, and stopped by a house party to tell them all to _calm the fuck down_.

'Who the hell even threw parties on a Tuesday night?' Mako irritably thought as he drove away from the scene. He knew they would start back up as soon as he left, but with two hours left until he was released from duty, Mako couldn't find it in himself to care.

This was the life of a cop.

Since graduating from the academy, Mako had been put on the graveyard shift, midnight to 6 am, and it absolutely _awful_. With a degree in criminology from Republic City University and an impressive performance at the Beifong Police Academy, Mako had high hopes to make detective soon.

In fact, Chief Beifong was looking over his records. If things went accordingly to plan, Mako wouldn't have to deal with the annoyances that came with being a regular beat cop. No more traffic violations or jaywalkers or stupid teens shoplifting from Zhang's 1 yuan store or this nasty caffeinated sludge that his stomach had grown accustomed to.

Best of all, no graveyard shift. If he could just land this promotion, Mako wouldn't complain about anything ever again (well, until something else pissed the 22-year-old off, but that wasn't relevant at the moment.) He lazily raised his radar, clocking the passing cars; again, nothing. He sighed and reclined in his seat.

One hour and fifty-five minutes left.

It was a particularly chilly early winter morning in Republic City's Dragon Flats district. The streets, normally full of wandering vagabonds and fugitive orphans, were empty; the only thing around to accompany Mako was the shadow of his police cruiser, sailing steadily down the road. His radio was quiet; the only thing to fill the silence was the rumbling of the car engine.

One hour and forty-six minutes left.

Growing restless and irritable, Mako pulled over at the corner store on 6th and Xai Bau for more coffee. The electronic bell, high and loud—_could you turn that down?_, rang as Mako crossed over into the small store. He wasn't too surprised to find that the shop was in a less than pristine condition. The metallic shelves, worn down from rusting and corrosion, carried less than half of what the convenience stores downtown held. Mako frowned.

Maintaining a small business in a working class district such as Dragon Flats was difficult, especially with how the economy's been under President Raiko. It was impressive that this dump was still standing today.

"Hey officer, you gonna get something, or…?" Mako whipped around in the direction of the voice and _stared_.

And stared.

And _stared._

To Mako's left, behind the register, was a young woman, staring at him curiously. She was most likely around his age, if not younger by a year or two, with dark skin and hair, cropped into a choppy bob. She looked totally at ease, which was a rare demeanor for someone to carry around the law, both hands cradling a textbook: _But then everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked: A History_.

The young woman, who was admittedly _very _pretty, had a pair of bright blue eyes which were currently boring into Mako's own amber gaze. She raised a brow, silently asking her question again, bringing Mako out of his daze.

He realized, with embarrassment, if he continued second more without saying anything, he'd be staring impolitely at the young woman.

He masked his mortification and cleared his throat.

"Uh, yes. Got any coffee?"

The pretty lady, whose nametag Mako noticed read "Korra," wrinkled her nose distastefully.

"Yes, but are you sure you want that gunk? It's pretty nasty stuff."

It took Mako a second to realize that she was joking. Normally, he'd just ignore any attempt at cracking a joke (with the exception of his baby brother, of course), but there was something in the playful gleam that sparkled in her blue eyes that amused Mako. He didn't fight against his urge to smile.

"With the stuff the office has been giving us, I'm sure it'll be fine."

She shrugged, "Mmkay. It's your stomach, officer."

"Shouldn't you be _promoting _your products instead of discouraging paying customers from buying it in the first place?"

"Just trying to help the law out," she replied coyly, "wouldn't want you keeling over while trying to apprehend a jaywalker because of some cheap coffee. You know we actually use the same crap they give cops, right? That stiff Beifong was here a few days ago whining about it. You know her, right? Lin Beifong?"

"Of course," Mako replied, straightening up at the mere mention of her name, "she's my boss. But how do you know her?"

"Family friend. My name's Korra, by the way. Is Beifong as stuffy on the job as she is off duty?"

"Nice to meet you. I'm Mako. Most likely, but we're all used to it by now. You should have seen her at the last department picnic when she thought someone had spiked the punch bowl."

"She probably had forensics run a test on it before deciding it was safe to drink."

"She did," Mako confirmed, his lips picking up at the burst of laughter that escaped Korra's lips. "But it _was _spiked, so there was that."

"What? No way!"

"Way."

Mako's radio was silent for the remaining hour and forty-three minutes that he wasted, sharing stories with Korra. It was nice change for once, having someone who wasn't easily put off by his normally stoic behavior. In fact, there were a few times where she had teased him for it, although he enjoyed hearing her laugh (even if it was sometimes at his expense.)

When six am came around, the two stopped talking to listen to the rumble of traffic that was beginning to pick up in the streets outside. Mako checked his watch and frowned, not really wanting to part ways with the pretty girl with pretty eyes who actually proved to be pretty amazing company.

"I gotta go back to the station," Mako said. "My shift is over."

Korra pouted, an utterly adorable expression, Mako noticed when a small blush. But it quickly vanished, replaced with a sly grin.

"Well, Officer Mako," Korra said, snapping her textbook shut; she leaned over the counter close to him, almost as if she were sharing a secret with the 22-year-old. He couldn't ignore his heart picking up at the closing proximity, focusing on the countless shades of blue in her eyes. "Were you still gonna get that coffee anytime soon, or…?"

Mako smiled and placed his hat back on the crown of his head.

"I'll get it next time. And if I can't get it then, then probably the next time," he promised. "See ya, Korra."

"I'll be waiting, Mako!"

Her laughter rang in Mako's ears the entire drive back to that station.


End file.
